The Puttanesca Chiefs will front the AFL tribunal tonight in defence of superstar Patrick Dangerfield following his bump on undrafted defender Jake Kelly.
Midway through the second term, Dangerfield ran towards Kelly, who was running out of defence with the ball, before clashing heads with the Crow as he disposed of the ball.
Chief’s coach Mark Buscumb said that the club is expected to fight the charges on the basis of the ‘protected species’ clause.
“Look, deep down we all know that certain players are afforded particular rights that others don’t get – it’s like Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’, except in this case, the pig is Patrick. Plus, Kelly hasn’t even been drafted, so the question is, does anyone really care?” explained the Chief’s coach.
“Patrick is a great player and rubbing him out for an extended period of time is only going to lower the average point total across the competition. It’s just bad for the league.”
Coach Buscumb also used the opportunity to raise broader issues with the AFL’s recent rule changes. “And let’s be serious for a moment, the only reason why a player is going to be suspended for a bump that was legal only 6 years ago is because the AFL are paranoid about future concussion related lawsuits. It’s all about Gil’s cash.”
The Chief’s legal team will build their case in close consultation with 2021 draftee Trent Cotchin, due to his significant experience using the ‘protected species’ clause over his career.